


Ladies Night

by ardentaislinn



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Ladies of SHIELD, Lady Bonding Time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 10:46:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2770199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ardentaislinn/pseuds/ardentaislinn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The ladies decide they need a night off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ladies Night

“What are you two doing?” Bobbi asked. Skye jumped. She’d been so involved in her and Jemma’s game that she hadn’t heard the other agent arrive.

“Just playing some cards,” Skye replied.

“Great, nothing important, then. It’s Friday night, and I need a Ladies Night. Just us. Who’s in?” She looked between the two of them, eyebrows raised in question.

Skye glanced at Jemma, who shrugged, putting her cards down. “Sure! I haven’t had a night out in a long time.”

Skye glanced at Jemma, surprised. She wasn’t usually so keen to go out, particularly if it meant leaving Fitz behind. Since the two of them had finally progressed their relationship, the two of them had practically been joined at the hip. Skye shrugged. Who was she to complain?

She turned to Bobbi to accept the invitation and for the first time noticed the faint lines of tension about the other woman’s eyes.

“Trouble in paradise? Again?” She softened her words so they didn’t sound so snarky. Even after all this time knowing Bobbi and Hunter, she still couldn’t quite get a handle on their relationship.

Bobbi rolled her eyes. “When isn’t it trouble?” she asked, rolling her eyes. But the general feeling of discontent rolling off her tightened at the mention of her on-again-off-again paramour.

“Alright, I’m in,” Skye told her with a smile. If her friend needed a night to unwind, she’d get a night to unwind. Bobbi relaxed infinitesimally.

“We should invite May,” Jemma chimed in. “She’s also a Lady, and a team member.”

“I don’t think she’d come, Jem,” Skye said gently.

Jemma shrugged in reply. “Then she won’t come. But we should still invite her. May never gets invited,” she said stubbornly.

“I’m for it,” said Bobbi, and Skye shrugged happily.

They found May watching home renovation shows in the common room.

“May, I’m taking these two for a night out on the town,” Bobbi began.

“We’d like you to join us,” Jemma said determinedly.

May’s eyes shifted over to the three of them without moving her head. Even looking out the corner of her eye, May still managed to glare at them. Skye wondered briefly if it was such a good idea to interrupt May during her viewing of _Extreme Makeover: Home Edition_ and began backing away _._ Skye herself had often joined May during these nights. Never having had a home, and never likely to have a normal one, she found these programs strangely fascinating. She had always thought that perhaps May enjoyed them for the same reason, but had never asked.

Much to Skye’s surprise, though, May gave a single nod in assent.

“I’ll be ready in ten,” was all she said before standing and striding out of the room. She gave Bobbi a long look as she passed, clearly picking up on the same vibes Skye had earlier. The rest of them glanced at each other and then raced off to their rooms. It wouldn’t do to keep May waiting.

`

Half an hour later the four of them strode into a downtown bar. It was the kind of place that was clean enough to be bearable, but rundown and crowded enough to be anonymous. It was perfect for four Shield ladies looking to let loose a little.

They drew a lot of attention as they strode through the room together from men and women alike. Skye fluffed her hair a little, pleased. It had been a while since she’d had anyone appreciate her, and with Jemma and Bobbi (mostly) in relationships, it was hard being the only single girl at the table. She looked at May, thinking that the two of them should hang out more often.

Despite some immediate offers, the women bought their own drinks and found a high table with four bar stools for them to crowd around.

“Is this going to be one of those ‘no men’ nights?” Skye asked. “Because that guy over there is eyeing May like she’s water and he’s parched. We need to make the ground rules before he makes his move.”

There was no visible evidence that the question made Bobbi anxious, (she was a master spy, after all) but Skye had known her long enough to be able to tell that much.

May glanced over at the guy in question with a considering look on her face. “He’s attractive, but I vote no men,” May said after a moment, looking right at Bobbi.

Jemma nodded enthusiastically in agreement. “Same.” Jemma very carefully didn’t look at Bobbi. It seems that all of them could sense that Bobbi needed some friends tonight.

“Fine by me,” Skye said, leaning back and sipping her fruity drink. Not as good as a real cocktail, but it was pretty good for a place like this.

Bobbi blew out a breath, clearly relieved. “Yeah, who needs men? More trouble than they are worth.” There was only a faint trace of bitterness in her words, almost disguised by the hurt that was far more obvious.

An innumerable number of drinks and many rejections of the local patrons later, the subject inevitably turned to sex.

“So, you’re saying the little nerd is actually good in bed? Who knew?” Bobbi was saying to Jemma, discussing Fitz in the bedroom.

“He’s the best kind of lover,” Jemma replied haughtily, leaning forward to make her point and nearly falling off her stool. “He wants to please me and he _pays attention_ ,” she finished significantly. Skye nodded, absently acknowledging the importance of this whilst only half listening to the conversation. She didn’t really want to think about Fitz naked. Oops, there went the thought. She shuddered.

“I had to teach Hunter the concept of _ladies first_ ,” Bobbi practically giggled. “He had all the moves and had no idea how to use them to best advantage. _My_ best advantage, that is.” She laughed again, but then grew serious. “Honestly, it’s never been the sex that’s the problem.”

Skye saw May nod, stoic as ever and seemingly no worse for wear despite the multiple alcoholic drinks she had consumed. Skye couldn’t help feel a little put out.

“Marriage is hard,” May said calmly.

Three heads whipped around in shock. “You say that like you’d know,” Skye commented, trying to sound calm while her heart beat quickly in surprise.

May shrugged. “I tried the marriage thing. It didn’t work. You know how it is.” She was looking at Bobbi, who nodded slowly.

“He couldn’t stand the secrets?” she asked softly.

May gave a single sharp nod in reply.

Skye looked at Jemma and raised her eyebrows. Or at least she hoped she did. Hard to tell what you are doing with your face when you were this drunk. Jemma shrugged helplessly, either in reply or because she had no idea what Skye was doing.

“Would you try it again?” Bobbi slurred.

“With him?” May thought about it for a few seconds. “Probably not. Though the sex was _really_ good,” she finished with a slightly loopy grin. Maybe the alcohol was affecting May more than Skye had thought.

Bobbi laughed, while Skye made a noise that indicated how very much she _didn’t_ need to know that.

When they had all calmed down from that statement, Jemma’s voice piped up. “Was it marriage that ruined it?”

They all looked at her, considering, but she didn’t meet their eyes. She stayed slumped in her seat and played absently with her straw.

Bobbi was the first to talk. She clapped Jemma affectionately on the shoulder a little too hard. “Nah. Our problems were already there. I thought if I married Hunter, he’d realise he could trust me. And he thought…well, I don’t even know what he thought. But, of course, the ring doesn’t automatically make things better.”

Jemma nodded at this, blinking slowly and clearly trying to think through the drink.

“If you want to learn from my mistakes,” May said. “Then make sure you both have the same goals _before_ the marriage.”

They fell silent after that, but Skye couldn’t resist stating the obvious to Jemma. “So that means you and Lover Boy are ready to tie the knot?”

Jemma blushed a little, but smiled fondly. She put her elbows on the table, lowered her voice, and leaned as if imparting a great secret. “I’m thinking about it. But I don’t know what he thinks. And I don’t want to bring it up until I know how _I_ feel about it, you know?”

“Communication…,” Bobbi began, then hiccupped. “Communication is _important_ ,” she tried again. “Knowing Fitzy, he probably wants to know what’s going on in that head of yours.” Bobbi tapped Jemma on the forehead to illustrate her point. “Besides, he can probably help you sort out your feelings. Maybe. Or maybe he’ll just confuse them.”

Bobbi was clearly worse for wear if she was giving Fitz nicknames when he wasn’t even there to be annoyed by them. But Skye felt oddly proud that Bobbi wasn’t letting her bitterness over her marriage (or lack thereof) taint Jemma’s relationship.

May leaned in. “You’ll figure out what’s right,” she told Jemma with the utmost faith. Jemma beamed.

Skye straightened, wobbling slightly on the narrow chair and catching herself on the table. “Right, I think this calls for more drinks!”

Several hours later, Skye woke to find herself in a pile of sleeping women on the floor of the common room. May had managed to snag the couch, but Bobbi, Jemma, and herself were sprawled awkwardly on the ground. A blanket had been half-heartedly draped across the three of them. One of her shoes was off, but she was otherwise fully dressed.

Skye had no idea how they’d managed to get home, but figured it must be quite a story from the state of them.

She’d never been quite so glad to have these women as her friends.

 


End file.
